After the 2024 season, the WNBA announced that the finals would change from a best-of-five series to a best-of-seven format. The decision aligned with rising viewership and attendance and gave the league a chance to capitalize on growing fan interest when games matter most.
Last year, the WNBA didn’t really get to see what an extended finals series could do for viewership, fan engagement, and revenue. The Las Vegas Aces made short work of the Phoenix Mercury, sweeping them in just four games.
This year’s finals are off to a very different start. Four games in, the series is tied 2-2, and there’s a good chance that we will get the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history. It’s already paying off, too. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries didn’t just pack the stands at State Farm Arena and Chase Center for the first four games. They also drew in a ton of TV viewers.
This is shaping up to be the most-watched WNBA finals ever
This Dream-Valkyries matchup is not a finals meeting many would have predicted before the season, or even in May. The Aces, Liberty, Lynx, and Fever were expected to be the top title contenders because of their star power and history.
This matchup features star power. Angel Reese is one of the most popular players in the league and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, DeWanna Bonner, and Gabby Williams are multi-time All-Stars. Still, the Valkyries and Dream don’t have a single player who made the All-WNBA First Team, and three of the four games have been defensive rock fights.
Nevertheless, fans are tuning in at unprecedented rates. Game 1 was the most-watched opening game of a WNBA finals series ever, peaking at 3 million viewers, per WNBA Communications. Games 2 and 3 didn’t draw quite as many viewers, but were still the most-watched WNBA Finals Games 2 and 3 in league history.
With the series tied, the stakes for the next few games are incredibly high, and fans are feeling it. It would be either franchise’s first title. For the Valkyries, it would be an historic accomplishment to win a championship in year two without a single All-WNBA player on the roster. Moreover, fans will want to see if Angel Reese can bounce back from a brutal Game 4 outing or if Gabby Williams can reclaim the upper hand in the Finals MVP race.
The expanded series will undoubtedly continue to bring in great viewership and attendance numbers, which is crucial for the league and its players after they agreed to a landmark CBA before the start of the season.
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